Whenever I listen to this song, it always makes me wonder…. Why on earth did Shailendra and Jaikishen have to go into self-destructive mode…
The world of Music and Poetry would have been richer for a longer period of time…

But on second thought, Will this magic ever die ???

DIRECTOR’S CUT

Radhu Karmakar ( Jis desh mein Ganga behti hai )

Raj Kapoor had called Shanker, Jaikishen, Hasrat, Shailendra and Mukeshji to his ‘cottage’ in R K Studios…. He narrated a script to all of them….. As he finished, there was silence…. Suddenly, Shanker banged his cup of tea on the table, shouted out an expletive, ( referring to somebody’s sister ) and stormed out of the cold, smoke-filled room !

Shailendra managed to pacify him and convinced him that there would be songs and music in the film….. Shanker returned and all of them discussed the appropriate situations for songs in the film…. The film, finally had nine songs…. Incidentally, eight were written by Shailendra….

Radhu Karmakar was to direct the film which was inspired by Jaiprakash Narayan’s continuation of the ‘Sarvodaya’ movement….. Getting the hardened dacoits of the ‘Chambal’ ravines to surrender…… join the mainstream and lead a normal life…..

The film was a stupendous success all over India…. Shanker-Jaikishen, Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri scored a perfect ” Nine”….. all the nine songs were hits….. Shailendra’s ” Hothon pe sachchai rehti hai ” was nominated for the Filmfare awards, but lost out to Shakeel Badayuni’s ” Husn waaley, teraa jawab nahin ”

The climax of the film is about the simple villager, Raju, finally convincing the gang of dacoits to surrender…. The director uses a song to end his story ….. On one side is Raju walking along with the dacoits, on the other side is Padmini, who has come with the whole Police force…. armed fully…. there is always a chance that they are being led into a trap…
The song itself is BIG….. and the director matches it with great shots….. Raj Kapoor, the producer, gives his director everything he wants to make this song as spectacular as possible….

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest songs recorded around that time, as far as music goes….. Probably a 100 violins…. a big chorus and two main singers…. There were so many musicians that some of them had to be seated on the pavement outside Famous Tardeo Recording Studio….. The studio where Shanker Jaikishen recorded almost all their songs….

The song starts with violins and the brass section creating suspense and drama…. The shots are perfectly in sync with the music….. truckloads of men in uniform….they alight and march…. The loud music suddenly makes way for the soft sound of ‘pizzicato’ ….. the musical term for plucking of strings of instruments like violin, cellos and double bass…… A guitar joins in and the song starts….

A beautiful violin run….
The ‘mukhdaa is repeated…. The gang of dacoits starts moving….
The director cuts to a shot of the marching troops…. as they separate, we hear Lata Mangeshkar’s piercing voice…

” Aa jaa re,
aa jaa re, aa jaa…..”

This by itself is one of the most amazing bits of singing in the history of Hindi Film Music…. I have yet to hear someone else do it so perfectly….
We see Padmini running towards the camera…. The men march past her…. another mind-blowing, earth shattering ‘aalaap’ from the great lady…. and she holds the notes perfectly !

The director intercuts between Padmini and Raj Kapoor…. she finally spots him and the dacoits… The Police see that the dacoits are unarmed …. The song ends….

The music is just what only Shanker Jaikishen could have done….. The singing….. Mukesh is great and he keeps it simple…. Lata Mangeshkar does wonders….Shailendra writes simple words that bring home the message…. ” Sehej hai seedhi, raah pe chalnaa….. bahut hai mushkil, girr ke sambhalnaa….” He takes it right to your heart with ” Apna ghar, phir, apna ghar hai….”

Radhu Karmakar has the gang of dacoits on one side and the Police on the other…. The location….. the bare ravines….. But see the drama he creates with the deft camera placing and movements ( Cinematographer : Taru Dutt )
He does full justice to match the music, the words and the singing….

Raj Kapoor and Padmini play their parts to perfection…. But the others match up too ! Nana Palsikar smoking a ‘chillum’…. unaffected…. Pran…lagging behind…. he is unsure…. apprehensive….

I can only think of how Shanker would have reacted after seeing this song on the screen…. Probably banged a tea-cup on the table and uttered an expletive ( referring to somebody’s sister ) !!!!!!

God said . let there be a revolution in the music of India , let there be new abundant variety of melodies & tunes , let there be rich modern , magnificent orchestra of high grade……..and He created Shanker Jaikishen..

They were not siblings, cousins or relatives . They were not classmates , boyhood friends or any sort of associates….

How they could have met & joined in a most wonderful harmonious union which lasted a lifetime & beyond unless God had wished so .

Their association , their friendship & their style of work were so unique , pure & sincere & divine.

Shankerji used to arrive in the music hall every afternoon & sit there late till night , playing harmonium , making songs & pieces for orchestra.. Jai sab used to come off & on . When they were together sitting with their bajas ,playing & comparing notes it would seem that the Gods & Goddesses of music were present there alive in their melodious musical notes.

Most of the time the hall would be crowded with people. On some rare occasions Shankerji would be sitting there alone playing his harmonium , drowning himself in the flow of music pieces.

On one occasion a song is fixed for recording . And Shankerji goes on & on playing the song .

I ask him . ‘ why are you playing this song over & over again ? The composition is complete & the recording is fixed.

Says he, ‘ you have to go on playing it over & over , that is how you get new ideas & innovations.’

Sure , they brought countless new turns , variations & novelties in their compositions.
The bend in ‘Tera mera pyar amar,’ the hum in ‘Tu pyarka sagar hai,’
The voice over back up in ‘Jabbhi e dil udas hota hai’, the extended TUM in ‘ Tum..m…hi tum..m ,, ho mere jiwanme,’ & the zig zag swishes in the last part of ‘Asmanme tare hai beshuma..a…a…a..a…aaar …
And the up down up down swings in the antara of song ‘Jiya ho jiya kuch boldo ‘ and like these many more.

And the tunes , they would start the song from any new venues like in the notes above the highest note of the middle octave, which noone had ever done before….
Like in ‘Dil tera diwana ‘& ‘Rukja raat ‘
And the jumping in the tunes to unimaginable far away notes like
‘ Dheere dheere …..[sudden jumping]….chal…..
Any one would have thought that after ‘Dheere dheere , the next part would come in the next notes.
Not S J ..their notes would go anywhere to anywhere taking all of us in a melodious high jump ride..
In ‘Akele akele . the song is going softly & suddenly the high jump comes & we are all taken to dizzy heights.

And the various audiations like ‘uf umma ‘ ‘ayayaya’ ‘Yahoo ‘ ‘Takdhindhin, ‘vaivaivai” ‘ullalla ‘ and as such …..

And the mind blowing orchestra , the like of which no one have seen anywhere in the world…. The jerking rhythm pattern in song ‘Tera jana .. & the high energy emotional overtures in ‘Chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe’….the hummable evergreen pieces in ‘mere jhoota hai japani’. The heart pulling cuts & breaks in the music of song ‘Dost dost na raha’ And the sheer brilliance in the music of ‘Ajeeb dastaan ‘ which does not have any match to date in the whole world ..I can mention only few songs ..because I will not be able to analyse so many of them

And the background score of Joker ..an all time classic creation .

Shankerji worked day and night during the background recording holed up in the studio

He was nowhere to be seen , in his regular joints , music hall , nor in CCI club or anywhere for nearly over a month. He just disappeared from the scene.

Because in background music , you have to see the movie , take the timing of the scene & compose the music piece to fit in that time.It has to be composed on the spot , you cannot remember the timing of the scene , compose it at home & bring . So like this ,scene after scene has to be seen & the music has to be composed & recorded.

The recording studio was booked for a month or so & Shankerji stayed there day & night . I do not know how many days Jaikishenji was there.I am sure he must have been there most of the time. But I know Shankerji was there all the time. because I used to go to the studio for my regular sittings & Shankerji was nowhere to be seen there. like all the other time sitting in the music hall every evening.

When I entered film industry, it was their high ascent time & they were zooming & zooming higher & higher Their fans growing day by day & the awards & trophies pouring in .. I heard there were complains from their households that there is no more place in their huge flats to keep any more trophies.

Time for mischief mongers to make entry..Some sly foxes would come to Shankerji , & try to put a wee little poison in his mind , about Jaikishenji…. No need to say Shankerji would flare up & throw this guy out of the music hall in just one moment ,,
The same thing Jaikishenji would do ,, but in his own way

Shankerji told me , that when some such people went to them separately , he said with awe that Jaikisenji also had given the same reply as Shankerji had given to these people.

Thus was their inner tuning , they thought & worked in the same wave length whether they were near or far……………..

Many trophies many movies many jubilees many awards & many shows & then the time comes for government appreciation.

Information comes that Shankerji’s name has come on the Padmabhushan title list..

Cheers but no cheers.

Some thing wrong has happened …..As Shankerji had told me …….

Some dumbos in the government had entered the name Shanker Jaikishen as one name belonging to one person.So one award had been allotted..

Phone calls fly up & down from Delhi & Bombay Officials are contacted in Bombay.. They all understand the mistake & feel sorry.

But they cannot do anything now…. no time for rectifying the mistake .. If S J can take Padmashree , then two Padmashrees can be given . But no two Padmabhushans can be given now..

Shankerji opts for two Padmashrees instead of waiting one more year to get two Padmabhushans.

What is a Padmabhushan or Padmashree ? Can it match their work & their genius? Their value is much much higher than the value of a Padma bhushan or Padmashree..

Even calling them emperors is not giving them their worth . Because many emperors have come & gone with no naamo nishan .

Shanker Jaikishen’s greatness will live for ever like a lighthouse guiding all generations to come. Their music will be alive youthful & fresh matching to any new generation for all time to come.